Curtain-fixture.



N0. 636,I23. Patented Oct. 3|, |899. P. G. EMEBY.

CURTMN FIXTURE.

, (Application led Dec. 22, 1898.) (No Model.)

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CURTAIN FIXTURE.

(Application filed Dec. 22, 1898.)

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No. 636,I23. Patented Oct. 3|,'I899.

P. G. EMERY. CURTAIN FIXTURE. (Application iled Dec. 22, 1898.)

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UNITEDA STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

PLATO G. EMERY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGrNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE CURTAIN SUPPLY COMPANY, OFSAME PLACE.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,123, dated October 31, 1899.

` Application l'iled December 22, 1898. Serial No. r200,036. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:`

Be it known that I, PLATO G. EMERY,of Chicago, in the county of kCook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Window or Curtain Fixtures, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the numerals of reference marked thereon.

Myinvention relates more especially to such window or curtain fixtures as are designed for use in railway-cars, and are of that description in which the curtain may be raised or lowered to any height Within the limit of the frame, with its cross-bar or stick always par allel with the top and base of the frame, and remain at any height to which it may be moved.

The object of the present invention is tothat by taking the curtain-stick near one of` its ends and giving it a quick jerk that end or the stick at both ends is liable to be thrown from the frame. In railroad practice curtains of this class are frequently subjected to violent and unskilful manipulation by passengers, and unless the curtain-stick is kept within the grooves of the frame by positive means much inconvenience from suchdisarrangement is liable to occur.

To simplify, cheapen, and render more effective such curtain-fixtures, especially in the respects mentioned, is the object of my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a face View or elevation of a window-frame provided with a curtain-fixture constructed in accordance with my invention and in posit-ion, the frame or casing being shown insection. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the frame on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, showing the invention applied. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of the same ligure. Fig. iis an enlarged View, mainly in longitudinal section, showing the main features of the invention. Fig. 5is a transverse section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a detail. Fig. 7 is an end view of the same detail.v Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 8 of 4. Figs. 9, lO, Il, and

l2 illustrate modifications of details of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several figures.

l is the window-frame, and 2 the curtain, which may be of any suitable design or construction. The curtain 2 is of fiber, leather, or other material and is here shown wound upon a spring-roller 3, which at all times has the tendency to wind the vcurtain up on the roller, and thus raise the curtain to its highest position. The bottom of the curtain is provided with a loop or cylindrical pocket 4,' within which is slipped a continuous tube 5, ncarrying operative parts hereinafter described.

Each side of the frame 1 is provided with a groove, at the bottom of which is placed a rack 6 of any desired construction. As here shown, the racks 6 consist of perforated strips of metal, so that their outer surfaces are iiat. At each end of the continuous tube 5 is telescopically placed a sleeve 7, each sleeve having at its outer end a cylinder 8, provided with a cover-plate 9a, furnished with wings 10, the wings resting in depressions Il in the edge of the cylinder, one of the wings being bent over its circumference and fastened thereto by a screw l2. Secured to one side of each cylinder and preferably forming a part of the cover-platey is an elongated shoe o r yokel, havingupou a pivot centrally of its length a cog-wheel 14, adapted to engage with a rack 6 at its side of the frame. In each end of the shoe (the same construction obtaining at each end of the curtain-stick) is mounteda roller l5, the peripheries of the rollers being adapted torest upon the iiat face lof the rack.l

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a collar 17, loosely fitting around the divided and lapped ends of the tubes 16. It will be understood that the tubes 16 are independent of each other, a separation or slip-joint being made, as seen in Figs. 4, 10, and 11, the two latter figures showing modifications, hereinafter described, of this feature of the invention. The tendency of the spiral springs 1S is to keep in engagement the cogs 9 and 14 at the ends of the curtain-stick and also to force the cogs 14 into engagement with the racks 6 and the grooved rollers 15 against the faces of the racks. A continuous rod 19 passes through the two tubes 16, one end of the rod being provided with a head 19, which fits against a shoulder 16 in that tube, (shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 4,) while the opposite end of the continuous rod 19 is provided with a thread having thereon a nut 20, which when screwed up forces a washer 21 against the face of the cog 9 at its end of the curtainstick. The function of the continuous rod 19 is to tie the two separated and lapped tubes 16 together underthe proper conditions, although, as will appear hereinafter, it is not essential to the invention.

One form of slip-joint formed at the meeting ends of the separated tubes 16 is indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, while other forms are shown in Figs. 10 and 1l. In Fig. 10 the right-hand tube 16 is furnished with a squared projection 16h, which fits into a similarlyshaped hole 16c of the other tube, while in Fig. 11 each of the separated tubes is furnished with a squared hole 16C, a central connecting-piece 16c being provided, having at each end a projection 16h, as in Fig. 10. In these modifications a continuons rod 19 is not needed. Other means of connection will readily suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic.

The function of the elongated shoes 13 is to prevent binding on the sides ofthe grooves in the frame on account of the offset rendered necessary by the right-angled gearing. The rollers 15, which may be grooved or not, are intended to serve as bumpers to reduce noise incident to the meshing of the cogs 14 with the racks 6.

In Fig. 9 a modified form of gearing is shown, forming the connection between the rack-gears 14 and the tube 16.

In operation the cogs 14 are forced into engagement with the racks 6, the rollers 15 resting on the racks, and as the curtain-stick is moved up or down revolution is imparted to the cogs 14, which travel in the racks 6. The engagement of the cogs 14 with the cogs 9 causes the rotation of the tubes 16 in the sleeves 7. The outward thrust of the springs 18 causes the inner faces of the cogs 9 to bear against the faces of the cylinders 8, thus producing a certain amount of friction. At the same time friction is produced between the outer surfaces of the tubes 16 and the inner walls of the sleeves 7. There is also a certain amount of friction between the gears 9 and 14, between the cogs 14 and the racks 6, and between the rollers 15 and the faces of the racks, the sum of the friction being sufficient to counteract the upward pull of the curtainspring, so that the curtain is held at any point within the limits of the frame to which it may be pulled or pushed.

It is obvious that minor changes not involving invention may be made in the construction of the several parts. Thus the mode of attaching the cover-plates 9a to the cylinders 8 may be modified, as also may the mode of attaching the elongated shoes 13 to the cylinders.

It has been found in practical use that this device overcomes objections heretofore found to exist in fixtures intended for a similar purpose. It is equally applicable to closed cars, open street-cars, or to other adaptations of spring-actuated curtains.

In using the word curtain I wish also to include a fexible screen, a slatted blind, a spring-actuated window-sash, or other equivalent device.

Instead of using rollers 15 on the ends of the shoes 13 I may substitute therefor springs, such as shown at 15a in Fig. 12.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of a spring-actuated curtain, a curtain-stick, a shoe at each end of the curtain-stick, a cog carried by each shoe, a roller at each end of each shoe, racks with which said cogs engage and against which said rollers bear,an d means for retarding the rotation of the cogs, substantially as set forth.

2. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of a spring-actuated curtain, a curtain-stick, a shoe at each end of the curtain-stick, a cog carried by each shoe, a roller at each end of each shoe, racks with which said cogs engage and against which the rollers bear, means for thrusting the cogs and rollers into engagement and contact with the racks, and means forretarding the rotation of the cogs, substantially as set forth.

3. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of a spring-actuated curtain, a curtain-stick, cogs carried by the curtain-stick on axes concentric therewith, cogs meshing with said axially-jonrn aled cogs and also carried by the curtain-sticks, racks with which said lastmentioned cogs engage, means for thrusting the cogs into engagement with the racks, and means for retarding the rotation of the cogs, substantially as set forth.

4. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of a spring-actuated curtain, a hollow curtainstick, a cog at each end of the curtain-stick journaled in the axial line thereof, cogs also carried by the curtain-stick and journaled at a right angle to said first-named cogs, racks with which said second cogs engage, means for thrusting the cogs into engagement with IOO the racks, and means for retarding the rotation of the eogs, substantially as set forth.

5. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of a spring-actuated curtain, a hollow curtainstick, a sleeve in each end of said curtainstick, each sleeve having a cylinder, a cog Within each of said cylinders, a shoe carried by each sleeve having mounted therein a cog gearing with the cog within the cylinder, and racks with which said last-named oogs engage, substantially as set forth. x

6. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of a spring-actuated curtain, a hollow curtainstick, a sleeve in each end of said curtainstick, each sleeve having a cylinder, a cog within each of said cylinders, a shoe carried by each sleeve having mounted therein a cog gearing With the cog within the cylinder, racks with which said last-named cogs engage, and means for outwardly thrusting the cylinders and shoes carrying the eogs, substantially as set forth.

7. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of a spring-actuated curtain, a hollow curtainstick, a sleeve in each end of said curtainstick, each sleeve having a cylinder, a cog within said cylinder, a shoe also carried by eaeh sleeve having mounted therein a cog gearing with the cog within the cylinder, a rack with which each of said last-named cogs engages, and rollers also carried by each shoe for bearing against the face of a rack, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

PLATO G. EMERY.

Witnesses:

EDGAR ANDREW, LOUIS V. EGGERT. 

